De Havilland DHC8-102 N808EX

Summary

On 25 November 2013 at about 00:40 local time, a De Havilland DHC8-102 registered N808EX, operated by Piedmont Airlines, was involved in an accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. 40 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 November 2013 at 00:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Philadelphia International Air (KPHL)

Coordinates

40.0067, -75.1711

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC8-102

Registration

N808EX

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Piedmont Airlines

Operating rule

Part 121: Air Carrier

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Binghamton → Philadelphia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

DCA14CA031

Nobody was injured.

an inadvertent encounter with several birds during approach that resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On November 24, 2013, at approximately 2040 EST, a De Havilland DHC-8-102, N808EX, operated by Piedmont Airlines as flight 4314, encountered a flock of a birds during the descent into Philadelphia International Airport (KPHL), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The airplane was located about 16 miles north of KPHL, and at about 4000 feet mean sea level (msl), when multiple birds impacted the fuselage and wing of the airplane .  The flight crew notified air traffic control, and did not declare an emergency.  None of the 40 passengers and crew onboard were injured and the airplane was substantially damaged.  The flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 as a regularly scheduled passenger flight between Greater Binghamton Airport (KBGM), Binghamton, New York, and KPHL. The captain was the pilot flying, and stated that flight conditions were night VMC with no moon.  The flight crew stated they were at 4,000 feet msl, at about 190 knots airspeed, and on the downwind leg for runway 26 when the bird strike occurred.  The flight crew heard multiple thuds and saw some of the birds through the windshield.  After the impacts, the flight crew checked instruments, disconnected autopilot, checked for changes in flight characteristics and did not note any changes. The first officer notified ATC of the bird strike and did not declare an emergency.  The flight landed uneventfully at KPHL.  Post flight maintenance inspection revealed substantial damage to the left front wing spar, left wing skin, and vertical stabilizer deice boot.   

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.